Tin meat and rice

This is my dad’s favourite recipe. When money was tight, we lived in one bedroom and shared the kitchen with four other adults. My first taste of beef came from a tin of corned beef – it’s a staple for every Island kitchen. My dad used to make it five different ways, including with raw onions in a sandwich, in a curry paste, or in a broth.

Credit: Armelle Habib

• serves

  2-4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tin corned beef
• 1 tbsp Keen’s curry powder
• 2 spring onions (scallions), sliced
• cooked rice, to serve

Instructions

1. Fry the onion in the hot oil until golden brown, then add the corned beef, break it up and cook for 10 minutes.

2. Add the curry powder and spring onion and fry for 5 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.

3. Curried tin meat is always served with steamed rice.

This is an edited extract from Mabu Mabu by Nornie Bero, published by Hardie Grant Books. Photography by Armelle Habib.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.